On Campus - Faculty
and Staff News
May 5, 2000 Vol.
52, No. 46
C. Kenneth Meyer, the Thomas F. Sheehan distinguished professor of public administration, is co-author of a recent article titled "Sports, Politics and Other Gold Rush Games: Why Bad Guys Increasingly Are the Winners" in the winter issue of Public Integrity. The article deals with a type of game called the gold rush where the prize is great, but the chance of winning is low. The chances of winning in a gold rush game can be manipulated by the players and following ethical rules impedes winning the grand prize. Ethical team membrs are resented by their teammates or co-workers because they serve as an impediment to securing the "brass or gold ring." Examples ranging from the International Olympic Committee to the NCAA to political contests to the Internet gold rush are examined.
Susan Sidney Smith, professor of education, has recently returned from the former communist country of Georgia. In her two-week stay, she taught two courses and visited school classrooms. The courses are part of the Reading, Writing, Critical Thinking project supported by the Soros Foundation and the International Reading Association. In the first course, she taught 28 Georgian professors democratic strategies to be used in teaching. In the second course, she taught similar strategies to 35 elementary and secondary teachers, selected by the Ministry of Education. This was her fourth visit to Georgia, working with this project.
Sociology professors Dean and Susan Wright presented the paper "Dying Homeless but Not Alone" at the meetings of the Midwest Sociological Society in Chicago on April 21. Dean and Ehren Wright presented the paper "Like Father Unlike Son: Being a "Daddy" in Two Generations" at the Chicago meeting of the Midwest Sociological Society on April 20.
Klaus Bartschat, professor of physics, presented a paper titled "Electron-Impact Excitation of Heavy Noble Gases from Ground and Metastable States at Low and Intermediate Energies" at the International Conference on Atomic and Molecular Data. The conference was held in Oxford (England) March 26-30.
Tom Westbrook, associate professor of education, has been elected to the Iowa Distance Learning Association board of directors. He also conducted a concurrent session during IDLA"s annual conference on April 28 titled "From Three R"s to Three I"s: Effective Teaching/Learning Strategies Using Enabling Technology."
Nancy Perazelli, gift planning officer, spoke at the 24th Conference on Gift Annuities for the American Council on Gift Annuities in St. Louis on April 26. She presented an Introduction to Planned Giving Basics. Approximately 170 fundraising executives attended the session.
The following faculty and staff members were honored at the Spring Faculty/Staff Recognition for 20 years of service to Drake:
E. Jean Bergman, administrative assistant, Office of Marketing and Communications.
Dorothy M. Blewer, administrative assistant/office manager, Office of the Registrar.
Nancy J. Cathcart, receptionist, Morehouse Residence Hall.
Scott L. Dirks, grounds superviser/grounds mechanic, Operations and Maintenance.
Sandra L. Johnson, receptionist, Carpenter Residence Hall.
Carol A. Miller, director of corporate foundation and grant support.
Della M. Rhodes, facility maintainer I, Residence Services.
Sandra K. Smeltzer, budget assistant to the provost/director of summer programming.
Ronald J. Troyer, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Ginger R. Wheeler, administrative assistant, Dean"s Office, College of Business and Public Administration.